Sole for footwear and footwear embodying the same



Feb. 27, 1945. H, GHEZ ETAL SOLE FOR FOOTWEAR AND FOOTWEAR EMBODYING THE SAME Filed Feb. 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H ENRY GH E Z 05 CA R GH EZ INVENTORS= ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1945.

H. GHEZ ET AL SOLE FOR FOOTWEAR AND FOOTWEAR EMBODYING THE SAME Filed Feb. 21, 1942 F' E W 6 7 mummmnn 9 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HENRY GHEZ OSCAR. GHEZ INVENTORS:

ATTORNEYS.

Patented F eb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE SOLE FOR FOOTWEAR AND FOOTWEAR EMBODYING THE SAME Henry Ghez and Oscar Ghez, New York, N. Y. Application February 21, 1942, Serial No. 431,776

9 Claims.

This invention has reference to footwear and more particularly to soles made of material which is in itself hard, stifi or inflexible.

Due in part to reasons of economy and in part to the dictates of fashion or other causes, a demand has sprung up for the use in the manufacture 'of soles for footwear of materials which do not possess the inherent flexibility and resiliency of the materials. more usually employed for this purpose, e. g. leather and rubber. This demand exists more particularly in connection with footwear designed for sport, playtime or leisure use, such for instance, as sandals, beach shoes, slippers, mules and the like, and has led to the em ployment in this class of footwear of soles made of wood, wood composition or cork board and other relatively hard and inflexible material. By the very reason however of the comparatively hard and inflexible properties these soles have not proved satisfactory as they are tiring to the wearer while walking because they lack the necessary flexion to avoid fatigue and this has not been overcome even in the cases where the soles of wood, for example, have comprised articulated parts.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide soles and footwear comprising same, more especially but not exclusively footwear of the general types hereinbefore referred to, which when made of material inherently of a relatively still", hard or inflexible nature, shall be so constructed as to possess flexibility and suppleness and thus have ease and comfort in walking.

A further object of the invention is to provide soles for footwear made-of such hard, stiff, inflexible or rigid materials such as molded plastics of all kinds, hard rubber, certain kinds of glass, molded fibrous material, cork board, pasteboard, vulcanized fibre, ply wood, plain wood, plastic wood, cork or the like which shall be capable of fiexion and of conforming substantially to the movements of the foot in walking.

Further objects of the invention are to provide soles of the kind referred to which While being of the comparatively great thickness which the nature of the material or the requirements of taste, long wearing qualities or fashion dictates shall yet be so light as to contribute to the comfort of the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide soles of the kind referred to with means integral therewith for the attachment or securing of straps, ribbons, laces, or other means for attaching or fastening them to the foot of the wearer or for the purpose of ornamentation.

With the above and other objects in view the invention provides a sole of a relatively hard, stiff or inflexible material having a plurality of slots extending in a generally transverse direction from one edge or near one edge of the sole towards but preferably not reaching the opposite edge of the sole. The said slots may be over the entire surface of the sole (including the heel portion) or over a portion of it only such for example as the portion in the vicinity of the ball of the foot which is the part most subject to flexion in walking. The slots desirably are alternately disposed, i. e. one slot extending inwardly from one side edge for a distance of approximately two-thirds or more of the width of the sole and the next slot extending from the opposite edge of the sole and extending inwardly for a distance approximately two -thirds or more of the width of the sole. By this arrangement the sole will have imparted to it a substantial degree of flexibility in both a, longitudinal and a transverse direction.

The slots in any case extend completely through the thickness of the sole, said slots being of any desired shape. Further the slots may be curved, straight or otherwise shaped and when the soles are formed of moldable material as plastics, the slots may be formed during the molding operation by suitable molding dies.

If desired the portions of the sole not having any slots therein or the portions intermediate said slots may be corrugated, grooved or provided with any desired projections or patterning forming an anti-skid surface while if desired inserts or additions may be made of metal, rubber or other wearing, shock-absorbing or abrasive pieces may be provided at the toe, heel or other parts, which inserts or additions may be interchangeable.

The upper or inner surface of the sole may be provided if desired with hollowed out parts or cavities in which some suitable low density material such as sponge rubber, expanded cork or the like may be inserted to lessen the weight and add to the comfort of the wearer.

According to a further feature eyelets for the reception of fastening laces or ribbons may be provided, these eyelets for example being formed by lugs formed integrally with the sole and having holes or slots therein, or one or more holes may be formed in the thickness of the sole and extending through the entire width thereof to receive such laces or ribbons. Such holes may be formed by boring if the material of the sole is suitable, e. g. of wood, or if the sole is made of a molded material the holes may be made in the course of the molding operationas by the use of suitably shaped core rods. The sole may be of a single ply or a plurality of plies cemented, sewn or otherwise secured together. In the latter case the slots preferably extend completely through the plies.

Also the sole may be of even thickness throughout or of varying thicknesses as desired. For example, an edge portion forming a welt may be of lesser thickness than the central portion, this also facilitating the attachment by any suitable means of an insole or of another ply. or when a two-ply sole is to be used, the upper ply can be of lesser width than the lower thus providing a welt. Further and particularly when the sole is made of moldable material there may be incorporated metal or fibrous filaments or fabric to act as reinforcing members.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sole embodying open slots in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective fragmentary view of a sole as shown in Figure 1 the slots being clearly shown as extending through the thickness of the sole.

Figure 3 is a plan showing two different forms of the slots.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of a sole showing a hollowed out portion provided with a low density filler.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of a modification; and

Figure 6 a side view or elevation of such a hole showing particularly eyelets formed integrally with the sole.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing transverse holes or bores in another modification of the sole for receiving laces or tapes and Figure 8 shows the application of the invention to a wedge shoe.

Figure 9 shows another embodiment of a hollowed-out sole with an insert of rubber or other suitable material.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates the sole made of any relatively hard, stiff, inflexible or rigid material such as all kinds of molded plastics, hard rubber, glass, molded fibrous material, cork board, pasteboard, vulcanized fibre, ply wood, plain wood, plastic wood, cork or the like. 2 represents a plurality of open slots which as shown in Figure 1 may be formed throughout the surface a of the sole or as shown in Figure 3 be applied to one portion only, e. g. the portion adjacent the ball of the foot and toe. These slots 2 extend completely through the thickness of the sole as seen in Figures 1 and 2 and mayhave parallel or converging side walls, but are of any desired shape. The slots 2 may also extend in a curved line as in Figure 1 or in a zg-zag line as in Figure 3 or be straight or otherwise shaped. Preferably they are alternated or staggered as shown clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3 with each successive slot extending from one edge of the sole across the major part of the width of the sole preferably about twothirds or more of said width, or as also shown at 2 in Figure 3, the slots may be connected in part to form a continuous double hair-p n bend. With this arrangement a considerable degree of flex.- bility both longitudinally and transversely is provided.

Instead of extending from at or near one edge of the sole the slots may be so located as to terminate short of each edge of the shoe so as to leave a marginal portion without any slots, 1. e. havlns slots over the central portion of the width of the sole. This would be advantageous in some cases to facilitate securing the sole to an insole or other shoe part by stitching, cementing or other attaching means.

If desired the parts of the tread surface of the sole between the said slots or any other part of the tread surface may be provided with an antiskid surface (as seen at 8 in Figure 4) by means of corrugations, projections, etc., formed thereon by molding or otherwise, while as shown in Figures 4 and 5, a hollow space or cavity (or more than one if desired) such as indicated by 4 may be formed in the upper surface of the sole or at any other part of the thickness of the sole, said space preferably being filled in with a light material 5 such as sponge rubber, expanded cork or the like.

This is further illustrated in Figure 9 where the sole is formed in its upper side with a cavity 4 filled with sponge rubber cork 5 or the like, and is formed on its under side with another cavity 4' filled with a rubber tread member 15 secured by means of countersunk rivets H having intermediate their length and embedded in the rubber metal rings or washers l2.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, lugs I with holes I may be formed integrally with the sole and serve as eyelets for ribbons, laces or other fastening members or as shown in Figure 7 holes I may be bored (or formed in the process of molding) in the sole, said holes extending transversely through the sole and serving to receive fastening or ornamentative laces or ribbons. These holes may obviously be round, rectangular or of any other desired shape in cross-section.

The sole may if desired be provided with inserts or attachments 9 (Figure 1) of leather, rubher, metal or any other desired wear resisting. sound deadening or abrasive material as is well known per se, not only at the heel and toe portions but elsewhere if desired and they may be made interchangeable. The edge of the sole may also if desired be given any suitable design or pattern.

It will be understood that the sole may be attached by any suitable or usual means to an insole or to an upper of any desired kind to form any desired type of shoe or other article of footwear or if a sandal or similar article is desired the sole may be provided with straps, laces or ribbons passing through the eyelets B or holes I.

It will also be understood that in any case the upper surface of the sole may if desired be covered by a layer of fabric (secured in situ during the molding of the sole for instance) leather, rubber or any other desired material, or the headble sole itself may be used as an insole or an inner ply and be covered by any other material, for example leather, rubber or fabric.

On the other hand, it is understood that herein the term slot is used to define any out or elongated perforation or opening which extends through the entire thickness of the sole and is preferably formed by displacement or removal of material, so that the opposed walls of each resulting slot are spaced apart an appreciable distance.

It will further be understood that when in this specification the word "sole" is used, it is intended to cover also a half-sole," and also that instead of being as one complete piece-the sole may be formed as two or more parts suitably hinged or otherwise joined together.

What we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A sole for footwear made of a material normally relatively stiff, hard or inflexible and rendered fiexible by the provision of a series of slots extending substantially transversely from near one edge of the sole across only a major part of the width of the sole and a second series of similar slots extending from near the opposite edge of the sole and extending across only a major part of the width of the sole, the said slots extending through the-entire thickness of the sole.

2. A sole for footwear comprising a suitably shaped sheet of a substantially rigid unbending or inflexible material with a plurality of curved slots extending from near one edge of the sole across a major part of the width of the sole, and another plurality of similar slots extending from near the opposite edge of the sole and alternating with said first mentioned plurality of the said slots extending through the entire thickness of the sole.

3. A sole as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slots extend in a zig-zag direction generally transversely of the width of the sole.

4. An article of footwear having an outer sole comprising a suitably shaped layer of a substantially rigid unbending or inflexible material with a plurality of slots extending transversely from near one edge of the sole across a major part of the width of the sole, and another plurality of similar slots extending from near the opposite edge of the sole and alternating with said first mentioned plurality of slots, the said slots extending through the entire thickness of the layer of material.

5. An article of footwear having an outer sole comprising a suitably shaped layer of a substantially rigid unbending or inflexible material with a plurality of slots extending transversely from near one edge of the sole across a major part of the width of the sole, and another plurality of similar slots extending from near the opposite edge of the sole and alternating with said first mentioned plurality 01 slots, the said slots extending through the entire thickness of the sole throughout their extent, the side walls forming :aid slots being spaced apart an appreciable disance. I

6. An outer sole as claimed in claim 4 having at least one part thereof of a material difierent from that of the said layer of inflexible material.

7. An outer sole for footwear made of a material normally relatively stifi, hard or inflexible and rendered flexible by the provision of a series of slots extending completely through the entire thickness of "the material and extending from near one edge of the sole across a major portion of th width of the sole and a second series of slots extending through-the entire thickness of the material and extending from near the opposite edge of the sole and extending across a major portion of the width of the sole, the side walls forming said slots being spaced apart an appreciable distance.

8. An outer sole for footwear made of wood which is normaly stifi and inflexible and renderedflexible and supple by the provision of a series of slots extending completely through .the entire thickness of the wood and extending from one edge of the sole in a direction toward the opposite edge of the sole, and a second series of slots extending completely through the entire thickness of the wood and extending from the opposite edge of the sole in a direction toward the first mentioned edge of the sole, the slots of the first series alternating with those of the second series and all of said'slots extending across only a portion of the width of the sole.

9. An outer sole for footwear made of wood which is normally stiff and inflexible and renderediflexible and supple by the provision of a series of slots extending completely through the entire thickness of the wood and extending from one edge of the sole in a direction toward the opposite edge of the sole, and a second series of slots extending completely through the entire thickness of the Wood and extending from the opposite edge of the sole in a direction toward the first mentioned edge of the sole, the slots of the first series alternating with those of the second series and all of said slots extending across only a portion of the width of the sole, the side walls forming each of the slots being spaced apart an appreciable distance.

HENRY GHEZ. OSCAR GHEZ. 

